Main navigation

Breadcrumb

Vehicle of missing Choctaw Co. man found burned in Hamilton with human remains

Submitted by Scott Johnson
on Mon, 01/07/2019 - 15:44

Monday, January 7, 2019 - 4:20:42 PM

• Ward believed to be found after missing nearly three months

Arthur Ward

HAMILTON - Law enforcement officials believe that remains found within a burnt vehicle discovered in Hamilton may belong to a missing 69-year-old Choctaw County man, Arthur Lawrence Ward.
In a Monday, Jan. 7, press release, Choctaw County Sheriff Scott Lolley said that on Saturday, Jan. 5, the Marion County Sheriff’s Department contacted his office after discovering Ward’s vehicle, a gray 2003 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck, completely burned in a remote and deeply wooded area.
Lolley said human skeletal remains were found at the scene. A deputy with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department delivered the remains that were found to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science to perform a DNA analysis and give final confirmation on the identity of the remains.
The Alabama State Fire Marshals Office called the Alabama Forestry Commission in to remove the vehicle from the wooded area in order to perform a more thorough inspection.
Ward was reported missing from his home in Pennington on Oct. 9, 2018. Lolley said that Ward could at times suffer from a condition that would impair his judgment. At the time of his disappearance, the sheriff said that Ward left his home without his medication.
Marion County Sheriff Kevin Williams said that the circumstances surrounding the incident remain unknown at this time and are still under investigation.